Book your Flight to Syros with SKY express from €66*

Syros is located in the centre of the Cyclades and according to archaeological evidence, it was first inhabited in prehistoric times (4000 BC) and later in the Cycladic period (3000 BC). The first settlers in the history of Syros were the Phoenicians who moved to the Cyclades, while in the 6th century, Syros was inhabited by the Samians. Ancient Hermoupolis was built by the Ionians and later inhabited by Persians, Romans, Franks and Turks, every single of which left their cultural traces. However, the Venetians played a very important role in the cultural development of the island, making Syros an important commercial center in the Eastern Mediterranean. When the French conquered the island in the 17th century, Syros was inhabited by a large number of Catholics, the well-known order of capuchins who founded a small monastery that remains active until today. The island flourished after the Greek revolution of 1821, when a huge wave of immigrants from Psara, Chios, Crete and Asia Minor settled in Syros using the island as the center of their commercial and maritime activities. The period of prosperity lasted until the beginning of the 20th century with the arrival of German troops in Syros.